Indy 500 culture

Jake Gyllenhaal, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Sharna Burgess, and other stars turned out for the Indy 500 Red Carpet ahead of the 101st Running of the race.

Tip no. 9: Carry the right-sized cooler, or security will ask you to leave yours behind at the gate. “But what about all my booze?!” Exactly.

An estimated 350,000 people attended to see Lady Gaga take a two-seater ride with 500 legend Mario Andretti, and to watch Alexander Rossi cross the finish line on fumes then get a tow to Victory Lane.

Richard Rawlings of Fast N’ Loud fame quickly got the VIP crowd excited with a few liberally poured shots of cinnamon tequila.

In one image, a sampling of the 80,000-plus spectators take in the action from the fourth turn, some in the north grandstands and others from their own vehicles. Some fans appear somewhat more debauched—particularly the gentleman to the right of the rutted roadway who appears to be unconscious.

Ride-along mechanics were a fixture into the late 1930s, and “Back Home Again” blared over the speakers for the first time in 1946. Point being, the Indy 500 and its traditions have had some tune-ups over the years.

Chloe wants to do all she can to help the kids currently staying at Riley, because she knows what it’s like to be stuck in a hospital bed, wishing she were someplace else.

“It’s very nerve-wracking for me when Graham is racing,” says Bobby Rahal, “especially on ovals because of the speed.”

“The princesses have an unofficial motto: ‘Don’t sleep until the Month of May is over,’” DeWitt says. “But it’s totally worth it.”

“The Indy 500 is one of the true iconic motorsport events, and to get to drive with a legend like Mario in this 100th race is indescribable,” Urban said in a statement.

Sugarmann—whose work “engages the automotive industry as a manufacturer of human identity” and has been shown nationally and internationally—interviewed, photographed, and filmed each participant. The result is an oral and visual history of the Indianapolis 500, exhibited at Big Car’s new cultural center, the Tube Factory.